Iowa quarterback answers media questions
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00:00 I guess everyone's kind of wondering health update and how you're doing.
00:03 >> Yeah, I mean, honestly, I'm just progressing every single day.
00:06 I'm feeling a lot better.
00:08 And really, I'm just really excited to get out there with my teammates and
00:12 we've prepared really well this week so far.
00:14 >> You expect to play on Saturday?
00:16 >> I mean, I'm honestly just really getting better every single day.
00:18 That decision is just really gonna come down to the coaches and
00:21 the medical staff.
00:22 >> You've been clear to practice?
00:24 >> Yeah, I've been practicing.
00:25 I haven't participated in 100% of practice, but I've been practicing.
00:29 >> Is the goal to be full go by Friday?
00:32 >> I mean, my intention and my goal is to play as many games as I possibly can.
00:36 And I mean, of course I wanna be out there with my teammates.
00:40 And like I said, it's just kind of down to what the coaches feel and
00:43 how the medical staff feels.
00:44 >> What's the frustration level like been in the past two weeks,
00:47 just the tweaking, you just gotta sit it out?
00:49 >> I mean, it's frustrating.
00:50 I mean, but I mean, I'm just happy it happened now instead in the middle of
00:53 the season.
00:54 >> How are you feeling from a preparation standpoint having to
00:57 miss more practice again?
00:59 >> Honestly, from a preparation standpoint, I feel really well.
01:01 I think at this point in my career, I understand what I need to get done from
01:07 like a film standpoint and really I think the coaches have been doing a really good
01:12 job of getting us ready for this week and I'm sure my teammates feel the same way.
01:19 >> What all happened on that play?
01:21 >> I mean, honestly, I don't know, I was just running and
01:24 I had a soft tissue injury.
01:25 So I mean, it's unfortunate, but I've been doing everything I can to prevent those
01:30 kind of things.
01:31 >> What was going through your head in that moment?
01:32 >> I mean, honestly, I just didn't know what it was.
01:36 So I was just kind of, my main concern was just what it was and
01:39 then what can we do next to make sure I'm able to play my best and
01:44 help the team out as much as I can.
01:46 >> How quickly did you know that it wasn't your repair team or
01:49 your repair team?
01:50 >> I knew right away.
01:51 >> Okay. >> Yeah, I mean,
01:52 I knew exactly that it wasn't my knee.
01:56 >> How many people did you hear the kind of chaos from friends and
02:00 people about him?
02:01 How injured is he?
02:02 Was it kind of chaotic for a day or so?
02:04 >> I think more of the concern was just from my teammates and
02:08 I really appreciate that, that they wanted to make sure I was okay.
02:11 And I mean, everyone in my life was concerned to make sure that just I was
02:15 doing okay and that what were the next steps to make sure I could get better.
02:20 >> How have you just dealt with it mentally like the last few weeks?
02:23 What have you leaned on to kind of help you do it?
02:26 >> I mean, I've dealt with some bigger adversity in my life and
02:30 I think this is just things like this that are kind of out of my control or
02:35 just a part of the journey.
02:36 So it's just my job to make sure that when my time is to go back and
02:41 play that I'm at 100% and I'm able to play to my potential to make sure
02:45 it puts our offense and the team in the best position to win.
02:48 >> Cade, you get here in January, you were voted team captain week one.
02:51 I guess what's that mean to you just that you've only been here a few months but
02:54 the team kind of sees you as that guy, as that leader on the team.
02:57 >> Yeah, I mean, that meant everything to me.
02:59 When Coach Ferentz announced that I got elected to be one of the captains for
03:03 this week by my teammates, I mean, that's just what I really care about.
03:08 Just knowing that the guys have that much belief and respect in me.
03:13 It really, really means a lot to me.
03:17 >> How excited is this offense to ready to get out there and get past the seven on
03:21 seven or the drills in the offseason and show fans that it's kind of taking the next
03:25 step?
03:25 >> Yeah, I mean, we're excited.
03:26 I mean, just like everyone else on this team, we're super excited to just go out
03:29 there.
03:30 It's a fresh start.
03:31 We've been working so hard for this year and this entire offseason.
03:36 So I think all the guys, offense, defense and special teams,
03:38 we're all just super excited and just we're ready to go out there and play.
03:42 >> Deontay was talking about how you've still been engaged on the sideline when
03:46 you weren't able to do things.
03:47 What are some of the things mentally that you were focused on and
03:50 being able to stay engaged?
03:52 >> Yeah, I mean, that's my role.
03:53 These guys look at me as a captain now, which is awesome.
03:58 So I mean, I can't just because I deal with something,
04:00 I can't just separate myself from the team.
04:04 So really my role has just been encouraging teaching and
04:07 learning for the last two weeks.
04:09 And what I've been doing from a practice standpoint,
04:12 I've just been doing as much as I possibly can.
04:14 And then from a mental standpoint, just trying to put myself in the game and
04:19 do everything I can to get the mental reps of the game.
04:21 So that I don't have any hiccups or delays once I get back in there.
04:27 >> There's some expectations on the offense and team this year.
04:29 Do you welcome those as the starting quarterback?
04:30 >> The only expectations I'm really concerned about are our own expectations.
04:36 And we've been very accountable and
04:39 we feel like we wanna accomplish a lot of things this year.
04:42 And we have an idea of what we want this offense to look like.
04:45 We know it's week one and
04:48 we're gonna continue to get better as the season goes on.
04:52 But we're a confident group.
04:53 And I think we know that we're able to make a lot of things happen from the coaching
04:58 that we've been getting in.
04:59 Really, we understand that we have a lot of talent as well.
05:02 >> Did you make the trip here with Michigan last year?
05:05 Or were you with the team last year?
05:07 >> No.
05:08 >> So you've been in the camp obviously.
05:10 What are your anticipations for running out of the home tunnel in front of 70,000?
05:15 >> I mean, I can't wait.
05:16 I've been thinking about that day for a really long time.
05:20 And I just honestly am so excited to just swarm out with my teammates and
05:24 take the field for the first time in Kinnick.
05:26 >> You guys talk about that as a newcomer.
05:27 I'm just like, hey, what's it like?
05:29 >> Of course.
05:30 Yeah, honestly, of course.
05:32 I've asked so many guys what's it like to play.
05:34 And everyone says the same thing, that they love playing in Kinnick.
05:38 That when the fans are rocking, I mean, we have unbelievable home atmosphere.
05:44 And all the guys feel that way.
05:46 And I just can't wait to experience it for the first time for myself.
05:49 >> What's kind of your rehab process now with this?
05:51 How much time do you spend in PT and everything?
05:55 >> To be honest, I spend as much time as I possibly can.
05:57 I mean, I'm doing everything I can from a treatment standpoint,
06:01 from a mental standpoint, from anything to best prepare myself to play and
06:06 to get back on the field.
06:08 And there's a lot of guys on this team that are doing the same exact thing as I am.
06:12 >> Are you still doing every single rep, whether it's in the classroom per se,
06:17 film wise?
06:18 And are you able to do PT at the same time or do you have to do those separately?
06:23 >> I mean, there's a couple things that I'm able to do in the treatment wise in
06:28 the meeting room, but I mean, I'm not missing any meeting time.
06:31 I'm getting all the meetings.
06:33 I mean, I'm present in all of those.
06:36 >> What's the conversation like as far as risk or
06:38 playing this week or letting it heal in a week?
06:42 >> I mean, that's just still comes down to what the doctors and
06:45 the trainers feel.
06:46 If they feel that it's safe for me to play, then I'm gonna play.
06:50 >> All your teammates talk about your confidence.
06:51 Where does that come from in you?
06:53 >> I think it kind of started at a young age of just the amount of work.
06:57 I've always seen myself as an underdog.
07:00 So I felt like I've always had to work harder than the next guy or
07:05 whatever it was.
07:06 I always just felt like I just have to do everything I possibly can to compete with
07:11 whoever it is, whether it's a guy in California being from Reno or
07:15 if it's a nationally ranked team or something.
07:19 Whatever it is, I feel like a lot of my confidence comes from the belief of
07:23 the work that I put in.
07:24 And I think that's really the best way to instill confidence in yourself.
07:28 >> What's the confidence in this offense that you guys can achieve the results you
07:31 wanna achieve?
07:33 >> I'm extremely confident in this offense.
07:34 I think, besides me, I think everyone else in the building sees the amount of
07:39 growth that we've had over the past couple of months.
07:43 And I think there's nothing but confidence going into this season.